Late-Night TV Music (Paul-Free Edition) | Sept. 23, 2019
Some things never change. Back in the ’80s when I used to videotape the late-night TV music segments on my Betamax (screw that VHS garbage!), I never knew whether...
Nick Cave’s Ghosteen Tops Today’s Album Announcements
It's always a good day when Nick Cave announces a new album. Ghosteen, the latest disc from the grim balladeer and his long-serving band of Bad Seeds, will apparently...
Back Stories | My 2012 Interview With Willie Nelson
With Ken Burns’ latest superb music documentary series Country airing this month, I figured it made sense to pull out some interviews I've done with country legends over the...
Next Week in Music | Sept. 23-29 • The Short List: Nine Releases To...
Something old, something new, plenty of Dead and Kanye too. It's another big week for music, with brand-spanking albums from New Pornographers, Sturgill Simpson, Tegan & Sara and more,...
Next Week in Music | Sept. 23-29 • The Long List: 200 New Releases...
There are more than 200 albums, EPs and singles being released next week. Mark your calendars and pre-order your favourites — but don’t blame me if things change at...
Next Week in Music | Sept. 23-29 • New Books
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” Groucho Marx said that. And I'm not...
Next Week in Music | Sept. 23-29 • On TV
It isn't every week that a Beatle shows up on the late-night TV scene. But even if Sir Paul is the big dog this week, he far from alone....
All Eyes West | Like Lightning
WHO ARE THEY? A Chicago power trio that carries a red-hot torch for post-punk and alt-rock noisemakers like Hüsker Dü, Swervedriver, Jawbreaker and Drive Like Jehu. And before you...
Joel Paterson | Let It Be Guitar! Joel Paterson Plays The Beatles
WHO IS HE? A Chicago guitar geek and musical multi-tasker who plays in a plethora of local bands — including Devil in a Woodpile, The Modern Sounds and Western...
Various Artists | And Now For Something Completely Crunchy
WHO ARE THEY? The Danish underground record label Crunchy Frog, started 25 years ago by some folks with great taste in music (along with an obvious love of Monty...
Neal Francis | Changes
WHO IS HE? A 30-year-old Chicago singer-pianist whose impressive musical resume includes a stint fronting instrumental funk band The Heard, sideman work with Muddy Waters’ son and other prominent...
Dizraeli | The Unmaster
WHO IS HE? A Bristol rapper, poet, playwright, singer-songwriter and all-around wordsmith whose government name is Rowan Alexander Sawday.
WHAT IS THIS? His latest outstanding solo disc that puts him...
Vivian Girls | Memory
WHO ARE THEY? The female indie-punk trio from Brooklyn who named themselves after the crusading prepubescent heroines of outsider artist Henry Darger’s 15,000-page magnum opus The Story of the...
Mudhoney | Morning in America
WHO ARE THEY? The Seattle indie-rock stalwarts fronted by singer-guitarist (and longtime Sub Pop Records warehouse manager) Mark Arm — also the man who accidentally coined the term grunge...
Leonard Cohen’s Thanks For the Dance Tops Today’s Album Announcements
"Leonard Cohen has robbed death of the last word." So says the press release announcing Thanks For the Dance, the late Canadian icon's upcoming posthumous album. I can't beat...
